Microsoft's biggest apologist finally admits that Windows 8 is a total disaster.

If you look back over the decades at the many high-level complaints that have been leveled at Windows, one in particular sticks out: Unlike Mac OS, in particular, Windows has always attempted to satisfy every possible customer need, and as such it often provides multiple ways to accomplish the same thing. The result is a messy product, if you will, one that lacks the singular vision that is typically associated with the Mac and Apple's other products.

There's no reason to mince words: This criticism has always been valid. And if you were to simplify the issue down to a sound bite, you might make the following claims: Windows was designed by a committee. The Mac, by contrast, often feels like it was designed by a single person.

I still believe there's hope for Microsoft and I totally agree with what Thurrott proposes:

I always accepted the messy bits of Windows in the past because the system addressed such a large audience. But given the way things are going, Windows should evolve into a system that is laser targeted to the customers who will in fact continue using it regularly. That's mostly business users, but even when you look at the consumers who will use Windows, that usage is almost entirely productivity related. Windows should focus on that. On getting work done. On an audience of doers. Job one should be productivity.

Everyone likes to compare Apple or the Mac to BMW and, you know what? Fair enough, and if that's true then Windows is obviously GM, the overly-big messy GM of a decade ago. But Microsoft can't afford for Windows to be like GM anymore—just like GM couldn't, for whatever that's worth. Maybe Windows needs to be more like GMC, the part of GM that only makes trucks (and truck-based SUVs). After all, while many people choose to use a truck for basic transportation, they're really designed and optimized for work. You know, as should be Windows.

You can't please everybody, Microsoft. So stop trying. It's time to double down on the people who actually use your products, not some mythical group of consumers who will never stop using their simpler Android and iOS devices just because you wish they would.

This week's court ruling was a HUGE blow to the internet as we know it. The common consumer has no idea what this means but they will when they start to see things like this.

You don't think this is a big deal? Just look at how US news networks deemphasize news that they don't care about. Just look at how much carriers overcharge for texting.

Information is power and now internet providers have the ability to control the flow of information as they say fit.

As part of my annual tradition, here is a list of my favorite apps, services, and tech products that I used throughout 2013.

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Rene Ritchie just nails it with this piece.

I've been using Snapchat for the past few months, and admittedly, it took me a while to "get it." The more I used it, I realized it's a nice way of sending photos to close friends for those "Hey I saw this and thought of you" -type moments

But then I started adding more friends. And the more friends I added, the more random, impersonal, obviously mass-sent messages started coming my way.

Most of these messages were things I'd scroll past if they were on my Instagram timeline. But no, because it was Snapchat, I'd receive a push notification for every single one. Every single selfie. Every single low-quality food porn pic. Every single video from a club that is too dark and too loud to provide any value.

It just got too annoying.

Thankfully, Instagram Direct is here and there are a few key differentiators that make it more suited for me.

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Just look at the top end of that China bell curve. That's a lot of fucking cheddar.

Tristan Louis, Forbes:

Every step of the way, the company focused on reducing friction and providing increased value for the user when its competitors asked the users to do more work. The net result is that users have voluntarily provided all the components Apple now needs to enable a payment revolution. And we’re about to witness the rise of the iWallet, maybe not this year but pretty soon.

While all the doubters are busy proclaiming "Apple is doomed without Steve Jobs" and "Apple doesn't innovate," Apple's been quietly laying the foundation for a major mobile payments revolution.

Kit Eaton explains what readers often forget when reading one-sided tech news — the importance of context:

The next time someone writes about Apple think about the context of why Apple is selling new iDevice X or Y, and see if that places any of the facts in the article in a different light (why did Apple chose the particular pricing it did?). The next time you read about a development of Google Glass, consider if there’s anything missing in the piece you’re reading about why Google is developing the device so oddly (why is Google missing out on cultural context by only testing it in the US?). The next time you’re reading about a new phone from Samsung, see if the writer mentions if the device has any real chance of making Samsung money or if it’s part of its usual shotgun market-coverage strategy (who is Samsung hoping to sell these phones to?). Oh, and here’s a good one about tangential context: When you next read about some new innovation or revolutionary idea, think about how the end users will feel when they use it, then see if claims of the "revolutionary" nature still apply. And so on. These are just a handful of examples. I’m sure you’ll imagine more.

Nailed it. And building on that, we as followers of tech news — or any news for that matter — need to remember this important piece of context:

Headlines are worded to be polarizing and sensationalist with the sole purpose of baiting you into clicking them. Because in today's world, more clicks means more ad impressions which means more money for the publisher.

This is by far the most insightful look at the mobile/tech industry.

It might not seem like it now but the Touch ID fingerprint scanner has potential to be a real game-changer (assuming it works reliably, unlike Siri). We live in a world of multiple devices, countless apps & social networks...remembering all those logins and passwords is a huge pain in the ass.

I'm reminded of this every time my parents have to call me from the Philippines because A) they forgot their password or got locked out of their accounts for too many failed login attempts.

Identity & Authentication are two things that are due for innovation, and Apple just made the first step towards improving that for mainstream consumers. It might not be a feature that'll make your jaw drop or impress you, but it'll be something you won't be able to live without once you've had it.